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Peter Amaras
Peter Amaras (born November 19. 1962), (formerly Peter Bodkin) is an American businessman, political activist, and the current Junior Senator of Iowa. Born in Keokuk, Iowa, Amaras's parents divorced at a young age. After disciplinary problems in elementary school, Amaras would be sent to the New York Military Academy for his secondary education, and would subsequently study Business at the Stern School of Business. A prospective low-level Minor League prospect, Amaras would lead an ultimately unsuccessful part-time effort to break into the Major Leagues following his graduation, while involving himself in a variety of business opportunities, dealings, schemes, and programs. Amaras would become a millionaire for the first time in New York, and returned to Iowa, where he would establish and develop his business portfolio over the following fifteen years. Semi-retiring from business and marrying shortly prior to the Great Recession in 2007, Amaras entered politics shortly after the election of Albert Winston to the Presidency, and was considered a major financial and ideological backer and developer of the nascent Tea Party movement. Amaras made his first attempt at public office on the Republican ticket in the 2016 United State Senate election in Iowa, successfully winning the four-way election with a plurality vote. Once instated in the Senate, Amaras quickly gained a reputation as one of the chamber's most conservative members, promoting bills including the "Preservation of Marriage Act", and "EFFETNA", a bill providing for the teaching of Intelligent Design in public schools. He elicited controversy within the chamber, notable feuding with Senator Alexander Breckenridge, and becoming a face of the party's conservative wing. Amaras has maintained an active Twitter profile since his election to the Senate, known for his prolific use of hashtags. Amaras participated in a televised debate against Mayor Joh Stansky in early 2017, known as the "Tussle in Trenton," and was generally perceived as the victor in post-debate commentary. Early Life and Family Peter Amaras was born on November 19th, 1962, in Keokuk, Iowa, to Stephen Amaras, a local shopkeeper, and Barbara Amaras, née Hitchens, a nurse, the second of the couple's three children. When Amaras was three years old, his parents separated, with adultery on Stephen's part alleged as fault for the purposes of obtaining the divorce. When Amaras was five years old, his mother married again, to Clyde Bodkin, seven years her senior, and the head of the Keokuk Manufacturing Workers Union. On her remarriage, Barbara would change both her last name, and her children's to that of her new husband. Peter, now Bodkin, would get along poorly with his new stepfather, often rejecting his authority, and alleging mistreatment, with a stated preference for his biological father. The new marriage would produce two additional children, both boys, John, and Jason, and Bodkin would have a poor relationship with both of his stepfathers, a mixed rivalry and envy of supposed greater attention and favor being shown to them, occasionally resulting in conflict. Unable to reconcile with his stepson, Clyde Bodkin would eventually largely cease to parent the boy. Attending the local elementary school, Bodkin was considered to be an average student academically, though was often reported on by teachers as failing to apply himself. Bodkin would face disciplinary issues at the school through his youth, including disrespecting teachers and allegations of bullying, which came to a head with an out-of-school suspension handed down after he was caught running an illegal poker game. Bodkin's father took the opportunity to send the ten-year-old to boarding school, the New York Military Academy, as a result of the incident. Bodkin's uncle, a former investor who had inherited significant sums of money, but had fallen on hard times in the Recession of 1958, was bestowed with emergency custody, and the young Bodkin left Iowa for the first time in his life to make the trip to Cornwall, and enroll as a Cadet. Education and Early Athletics Enrolled formally as a Cadet in the New York Military Academy, Bodkin attempted to integrate into the unfamiliar environment, the strict military discipline a marked departure from his previous experiences. Bodkin's grades were poor in his first years at the Academy, and he was remarked on by instructors as withdrawn and distant. Bodkin would be listed as a victim in a class-action hazing lawsuit filed against the school some two decades after his graduation, but did not participate in the lawsuit. During his time at the New York Military Academy, cadets were expected to participate year-long on at least one of the school’s sports teams, and Bodkin tried out for several. A small child during his time in elementary school, Bodkin would come into his own after a growth spurt entering into his high school years, still boarded at the Academy. Large and strong for his age, if lead-footed, Bodkin anchored the Knights’ offensive line, playing center on the school football team, and played as well as a power-hitting first baseman and pitcher in baseball. Though he tried out for the Academy's basketball team, Bodkin would eventually wash out midway through the season, unable to keep pace with the players running up and down the court. Bodkin's grades and demeanor would improve over his later years in the Academy, and he would graduate in the top ten percent of his class in 1980. Bodkin applied to the Stern School of Business, a school he would successfully manage to win admittance to. While intending to pursue a business career, Amaras's performances for the Knights had led to him being lightly scouted by Major League scouts, making just enough of an impression for the Cleveland Indians to select him in the 44th round with the 832nd and last pick of the draft. Amaras signed on with the team, and was sent to play for the team's Single-A minor-league affiliate, the Waterloo Indians. The Indians, coincidentally, played not far from Bodkin's birthplace of Keokuk, though he never returned there during his time with the team, feud with his stepfather still fully present. The Indians pushed Bodkin to drop his pitching, which they considered to be the weaker half of his skillset, and focus solely on playing as a batter and at first base. Bodkin would play for the team for the shortened season over the summer months, and returned to New York to prepare to attend Stern after the conclusion of the Minor League season in late August. Studying Business directly, Bodkin's academic achievements improved markedly with the focus on the subject area, though the discipline issues of his youth would come to the forefront occasionally during his studies there, with a tendency to occasionally argue with his professors beyond an acceptable level. Bodkin continued to spend his summers playing the shorter seasons of Minor League baseball, and was promoted to the Triple-A level to play for the Charleston Charlies after a strong second season at Waterloo. He was unable to keep up with the heightened competition at that level, however, and was demoted to the Double-A Buffalo Bisons the following season, his last summer at Stern. Bodkin performed awfully for the Bisons, and while completing his Master's Degree in Business Administration at Stern, learned that he had been traded as a “player to be named later” to the New York Yankees as part of the Toby Harrah for George Frazier and Otis Nixon trade. Meeting with his new management over the next weekend, Amaras found he had been demoted all the way down to Short-Season A, the lowest standard Minor League level, to play for the Oneota Yankees after his struggles at the plate. Notwithstanding the trough in his attempted baseball career, Bodkin graduated from Stern with his MBA that Spring, though missing a graduation with Honors. Early Business Career and Athletics Upon his graduation from Stern, Bodkin legally changed his name to that of his biological father's, Amaras, and moved into New York City itself, where he would rent an apartment, and try his hand, with the limited funds he had available, at playing the stock market, while travelling back and forth between business opportunities and Minor League games over the summers, continuing his efforts to both strike it rich, and break into the Major Leagues. Some early successes on the market, cashing in on the economic growth entering the mid-1980s, were followed by busted investments, leading Amaras to spend the following decade alternating between various financial proposals and entrepreneurial investments, without notable sustained success, re-attempting to invest whatever profits were gathered into new investments. In baseball, which he continued in during the summer months, Amaras managed to perform well enough against the weaker competition in short-season Single-A to be restored to Double-A, to play for the Albany-Colonie Yankees, the following year, and performed modestly well, showing significant power, though with consistently awful contact ability, plate discipline, and base speed. Expecting a promotion to the Triple-A Columbus Clippers at season's end, Amaras would be notified that he would remain at the Double-A level, despite what he saw, and would vocally express, as clear personal ability. The first baseman would openly complain that a conspiracy of coaches, managers, and envious players were colluding to keep him from advancing, jealous of his talent and shamed by their own lack of performance, as he portrayed the situation. After not receiving the call-up after his first 1985 campaign, one in which he led the Eastern League in times striking out, Amaras would return the following season clearly overweight, having put on an estimated thirty or more pounds over the off-season. Amaras would continue to allege that his not being called up to Columbus or the Majors over the following years was the result of that 'conspiracy' or 'cartel', though his posting single worst batting average on the team and striking out twice as often as any other player in four of his five years in Albany-Colonie were likely a larger factor. As he remained in the minors, leading the entire Minor Leagues in strikeouts for the next four consecutive seasons, separated by occasional long home runs, Amaras's physique, playing style, and Iowan birthplace would lead his teammates to dub him "The Potato Masher", or the less-laudatory nickname of "The Potato." Showing again his combative demeanor, Amaras would be ejected several times over his career for arguing calls, and happened to be hit by pitches at a significantly higher rate than league average over his playing seasons. Finally, in 1990, Amaras broke out into a career year in the minors, putting up personal highs in average, home runs, and RBIs. That same year, in late July, longtime New York starting first baseman Don Mattingly was placed on the disabled list with a back injury. Amaras would see this as an opportunity to finally make it to Yankee Stadium, but a strong performance from backup Kevin Maas negated the need for a minor-league call up over the next month until finally, with the September roster expansion, Amaras was called up to the MLB for the first time. Amaras's first several games in the majors were spent sitting on the bench, but after a week without seeing any playing time, Amaras finally got his chance to make his first appearance on the big stage in a September 9th game against the Oakland Athletics. Passed over for the start, Amaras would be brought in to spell Maas, who was 0 for 3 on the day, in a pinch-hit appearance in the bottom of the 7th. Coming to the plate, Amaras smashed the first big-league pitch he saw from Dave Stewart into the scoreboard for a three-run home run, and would, entering the field, record his first Major League assist, throwing out the Athletics' leadoff man at home plate off a relay from right field in the top of the 9th inning. The impressive blast was enough for the team to decide to give Amaras a chance to show his stuff, penciling him into the lineup at first base for the next game. At last given the opportunity he had striven for for over a decade, Amaras took to the plate again in a night game against the Texas Rangers, and proceeded to strike out swinging on three pitches. Coming up for a second time in the game, Amaras failed to make contact again, and recorded another strikeout. Successfully fouling off a ball in his third plate appearance, Amaras went down on four pitches, followed by striking out twice more before the game's end, a 'Platinum Sombrero." The next night, Amaras once again failed to record a hit, striking out four times, and in the last game of the series Amaras went down on strikes three times, every contact going foul, before finally being put down for the thirteenth consecutive plate appearance in the ninth, bunting foul in a desperate attempt to put a ball in play. The last at-bat saw Amaras set a Major League record for futility, striking out more times consecutively than any other player in MLB history. Following the dubious record, Amaras was demoted straight past the bench and down to the Minor Leagues once again, skipping Triple-A Columbus entirely, returning all the way down to Double-A at Albany-Colonie, despite his protests. There Amaras would bitterly play out the end of the playoffs for the team, but was unable to regain his swing, and would go hitless in the last games of the season as the favored Yankees lost the Eastern League Championship. Outside of his ballplaying career attempts, an insurance co-operative of Amaras's was looking to finally pan out, and the resentful part-time ballplayer would take the opportunity to leave the game for good at the end of the season, striking out in his final at-bat, and being hit by a pitch in his final plate appearance. Over his Minor League career, playing primarily in AA, Amaras led his respective league in times striking out in every season following his departure from Single-A ball. Amaras set the record for most times striking out in a single season in 1986, with 245 strikeouts in 517 at-bats, a record which still stands as the highest total in any professional baseball season. Amaras holds the record for the highest strikeout percentage in minor league history, and the most 200-strikeout seasons. Amaras is the only player in Minor League history to strike out two hundred times in a season more than once, doing so four times, with three additional seasons of over one hundred and ninety strikeouts. Amaras posted a career batting average of .199, and has more than twice as many career strikeouts as hits. Stepping away from baseball, and committing himself to business pursuits full-time, Amaras would direct the funds gained from the co-operative into a series of stock market investments over the next two years. Making a series of bold investments, and demonstrating an uncanny ability to sell shares shortly before major drops in stock prices, Amaras found success in managing to pick out winners in the tough times of the recession, and profited, making his first million dollars in dividends. Return to Iowa, and Later Business Career Fresh off of success, and having accrued a significant amount of capital, Amaras returned from New York City to his birthplace of Keokuk. Amaras sank his newfound funds into the town's long-running steel foundry, eventually purchasing the property and foundry outright, over the objections of his now-retired stepfather. Maintaining connections in, and often traveling to and from, New York City, Amaras expanded his portfolio through the purchase and sale of several franchises statewide, while continuing his development in insurance provision and industrial ownership. A fairly substantial force in rising business, Amaras's Iowa residence was considered abnormal, even as he performed many of his dealings within New York. Amaras's business career engendered some controversy, particularly within the state. Amaras was a consistent opponent in lobbying against minimum wage increases at the stage level, and a typical target of groups attempting to raise the same, citing an infamous tendency of Amaras's to maintain workers at minimum-salary levels for extended stretches of time, while making judicious use of tip and commission-based exemptions. Amaras's standard business practice was "lean", dramatically reducing costs wherever possible, with little compunction against firing workers and providing minimal or nonexistent severance packages. Amaras would gain infamy among organized labor in Iowa through his investment career, making an active opponent of the same. Amaras's "closed-up shop" style of hiring, actively excluding union members, was a flashpoint for union opposition, and a practice that would eventually be brought to court, requiring some curtailing. Amaras engaged in an active conflict with the Keokuk Steel union over a several-year period, inflaming hostility over the combative stretch, eventually successfully shattering the union. Amaras would be criticized as well by LGBT groups for alleged discrimination in hiring, eventually made illegal by the passage of a nondiscrimination law on sexual orientation through the Iowa legislature in 2007, a law Amaras lobbied against. After fifteen years of business in the state, Amaras elected to 'retire' in 2007, selling off his remaining shares and controls in his assets. He settled permanently in Keokuk, keeping only ownership of the foundry, and making casual inroads into venture capital for his post-business career. Amaras would meet, court, and marry his wife, Linda Sue Perkins, shortly after his retirement. At its peak, Amaras's net worth was estimated at several hundred million dollars, marking him as the third-richest man in Iowa, but never cracking the ten-figure threshold, nor making the Forbes 400. Great Recession and Political Involvement Amaras's retirement prevented the Great Recession from damaging his financial situation as badly as it may have, but he suffered losses regardless. The election and early administration of President Albert Winston motivated Amaras to involve himself in the political sphere for the first time in order to stand in opposition. Amaras would enter the political field as a major donor in the 2010 midterm elections, cooperating with business associates and connections in order to promote farther-right candidates in the Republican primaries of that year, limited, at the time, to Iowa itself, and placing primary focus on races for the House of Representatives. The actions, taken in the midst of a national pushback against the Democratic administration, found some success, swinging the Iowa delegation back to Republican control. Amaras would take success in Iowa as a mandate for further expansion, and began to involve himself in the political process nationwide. The Supreme Court's ''Citizens United ''decision, and subsequent jurisprudence, enabled significantly greater campaign spending through Super PACs. Amaras fully embraced the nascent Tea Party movement, and soon became one of its most prolific donors, advocates, and lobbyists. By some measures, Amaras would spend over half of his net worth over the next half-decade promoting the movement. During the 2012 Presidential election, Amaras through his support behind the more socially conservative Dick Pantorrum offering in the race, criticizing Ron Glover as a "coastal elite". Amaras stumped for Pantorrum in Iowa, and was considered a factor in his victory in that state's caucuses, however, Glover would ultimately win the primaries, Pantorrum dropping out against Amaras's advice. Amaras did not attend that year's Republican National Convention, and maintained only a limited involvement in Congressional races, as Winston won re-election to a second term. Amaras would continue his political involvement over Winston's second term, speaking at several political events, including CPAC. With Glover off of the ballot, Amaras involved himself much more aggressively in the 2014 midterm elections, attempting to pull primary contests towards more conservative candidates, and supporting Republicans in the general elections through donations and Super PAC efforts, as the GOP won control of the Senate. 2016 Senate Campaign Ulysses Johnson, Iowa's Class 3 Senator, an Independent member of the Johnson Family, caucused with the Republican party, but was despised by Amaras, having defeated his Republican challenger in 2010. Amaras easily won the Republican primaries, and would face Johnson, Democratic nominee and state Attorney General Alexander Valencia, and Progressive Iowa City Councilamn Darnell McCarver in the General Election. Amaras, who had not involved himself in that year's Presidential primaries, rather focusing on his own, ran on a Tea Party platform, promising a "Great Conservative Revolution", and running an aggressive campaign, in what would become a vitriolic race. An unofficial debate would be held between Johnson and Valencia, not involving Amaras, which he criticized, before the race's first and only formal debate, hosted by DIN. The debate would involve open insults among the several candidates, with Amaras and Valencia in particular trading barbs, including an instance where Amaras recommended Valencia "buy himself a rope", referring to an earlier promise of Valencia to "hang himself" if he raised taxes, with McCarver and Johnson also involving themselves, candidates repeatedly accusing others of lying or defrauding the people of Iowa, Amaras accusing Johnson of being in the "pocket" of Democratic Minority Leader Josephine Stafford, and McCarver calling Valencia a "felon". The debate, originally meant to be a town hall, had only a single question asked, the remainder of the time being constant self-driven combat between the candidates. Amaras was widely considered to have won the debate, and continued in his campaign. Valencia's campaign, mired in scandal and political problems, attacked repeatedly by Amaras on the issue of Valencia's taxpayer salary largely stalled, leaving the Iowa race a three-man competition. Amaras would outmatch his competitors in campaign activity, holding several rallies across the state, while pressing attacks against his opponents, calling Johnson a "puppet", McCarver "radical" and continuing to press against Valencia despite his low polling. Amaras made a public pledge to return his salary to the taxpayers if elected. By Election Day, Amaras was predicted for a plurality victory by a comfortable margin, but a combination of last-minute Election Day drama, including the revocation of the endorsement of Darnell McCarver by Ellen Walton after potentially libelous attacks, along with other circumstances, resulted in Amaras significantly underperforming his polls, but retaining a five-point plurality victory margin, winning election as Iowa's junior Senator. Senator of Iowa Amaras would establish himself as one of the Senate's most conservative members during the first months of his Senate term, being a vocal advocate for the Minuteman Act, and the Balanced Budget Amendment, and frequently entering verbal engagements, primarily through Twitter, against primarily left-wing opponents. Amaras would develop an adversarial relationship with Massachusetts Senator Alexander Breckenridge, who Amaras would refer to as a "coastal elite", and criticize Breckenridge's change of party affiliation from Independent, caucusing with Republicans, to Republican, Amaras claiming that Breckenridge was "not a Repubican." Amaras further often sparred with Vermont Senator Zachary Fowler, while tending to work well with Louisiana Senator Phillip Prejean, and Majority Whip María Antonieta Arroyo Villanueva de Peña. Amaras's first bill to be introduced before the chamber and passed was the "Education Equality, Fairness, Nondiscrimination and Equal Treatment Act", a bill with the stated purpose of promoting government neutrality and academic freedom through providing for the teaching of Intelligent Design, while criticized by opponents as potentially unconstitutional. The bill passed the Senate, was amended by the House, and finally passed the Senate a second time to be sent to the President on February 15th. Amaras tended to take a hard line during the confirmation process of several members of President Reed's cabinet, voting against Donald Overstein for Secretary of Veterans Affairs after criticizing him on the matter of government spending, Alicia Florrick for Attorney General after a contentious back-and-forth on issues of gun control and abortion, and Emmit Serrano for Secretary of Transportation after an exchange on government spending and cronyism, ending in controversy. Amaras would, however, vote in favor of failed nominee Emma Bellefontaine for Secretary of the Treasury, and criticized "RINOs and defectors" including "Winston crony" Breckenridge for the failure of the confirmation. In early February, Amaras distributed his first paycheck, sending $500 to twenty-nine Iowan families. Amaras is believed to have the highest net worth of any member of the U.S. Senate. Amaras passed his first bill in late February of 2017, the "Ensuring Equality, Fairness, Nondiscrimination and Equal Treatment Act", a bill with the stated purpose of promoting academic freedom, specifically relating to the teaching of Intelligent Design, criticized by opponents as a violation of the separation of Church and State. After the announcement of the insurgent campaign of Alois Kramer, Amaras was critical of the Alabaman, claiming he was attempting to stop the "Great Conservative Revolution." Following the attack on Senator María Antonieta Arroyo Villanueva de Peña in the National March for Equality, Amaras was vocally critical of the marchers and speakers, introducing a resolution of censure against Senator Alexander Breckenridge for alleged conspiracy in organizing the attack. The resolution failed to gain traction on its introduction, but resulted in a lawsuit filed by Breckenridge against Amaras, which Amaras announced his intent to challenge. Amaras introduced and defended the "Preservation of Marriage Act", or "POMA" in early March, a highly contentious bill. After heated conflict in the Senate, the bill was narrowly passed, with significant numbers of Republican Senators breaking from the party line to vote against the bill. Amaras participated in a televised debate against Mayor Joh Stansky in early 2017, known as the "Tussle in Trenton," and was generally perceived as the victor in post-debate commentary. During the confirmation hearings for Anna Rossi, Amaras would engage in a heated back-and-forth with Senator Breckenridge following the latter's controversial questioning of the nominee and her breakdown, calling the Senator "filth" for his conduct. Amaras would vote against the confirmation of Julie Mondale as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Controversies In his first week in Washington, Amaras left the Senate chamber while the "Resolution Honoring the Memory of the Orlando Nightclub Terrorist Attack Victims" was under discussion, and would ultimately miss the vote. Senator Breckenridge would introduce a resolution of censure, accusing Amaras of a "lack of empathy", and not befitting the conduct of a U.S. Senator at that time, and "other times." The motion would fail to garner a second, and failed with bipartisan opposition. In the confirmation hearing of Emmitt Serrano, Amaras drew controversy by asking whether Serrano, who had been paralyzed from the waist down in a Ferris Wheel accident, had suffered a head injury, and was thus unable to remember answers to Amaras's questions on the matter of lobbying for and funding a high-speed rail line. The remark received criticism, with Serrano refusing to answer further questions. Amaras would claim the matter was one of "political correctness", and accused Democrats and media of a double standard in criticizing the statement rather than a controversial statement by Democratic Maine Representative James Prazek drawing a comparison between Holocaust denial and belief in Creationist or Intelligent Design theories. Amaras was criticized by Alaskan Senator Helena Locklear for his introduction of a resolution of censure against Senator Breckenridge for alleged conspiracy in the assault at the National March for Equality. Locklear accused Amaras of using the hospitalization of the Majority Leader as a means to score political points. Political Positions Amaras is considered to be a Conservative, a member of the Tea Party movement, and either Right-Wing or Far-Right. Marriage and Sexuality Amaras is a staunch supporter of 'traditional' marriage, arguing that marriage is between "One man and one woman", and is an avid opponent of same-sex marriage. Amaras has been a vocal critic of propositions to legalize incest, claiming that they were the result of a "slippery slope" from the legalization of same-sex marriage, and stating the necessity to "stop the slope." Amaras has stated that polygamy is next on the "slope" and implied that the slope leads to pedophilia. Amaras has referred to abstinence before marriage as the "right" way, and has said that being a "gentlemen" guarantees protection against allegations of rape or sexual assault. Amaras holds a "real Christian" view on faithfulness in marriage, criticizing Senate opponent Alexander Valencia for alleged sexually looking at other women besides his wife, and accused him of "philandering." Amaras has stated support for the concept of "family values". Culture Amaras has claimed that the United States was built on "Judeo-Christian values", which were what made the country "great." Firearms and Second Amendment Amaras has referred to the right to bear arms as "inalienable", and has supported a broad interpretation of the Second Amendment, along with a loosening of firearm laws. Amaras has stated that an "armed and active" citizenry is the "number one protection against big government." Economic Policy Amaras has vocally made clear his position that Americans are "Taxed enough already". He is a strong opponent of increases in taxes on the wealthy or middle class, or Progressive tax systems. Amaras has advocated for a flat-tax system with a standard deduction, without "loopholes" Amaras has proposed reductions in corporate tax rates, and an "across the board" reduction in income taxes. Amaras is a supporter of "free markets" Amaras has proposed the abolition of the Estate tax, which he referred to as the "Death tax". Amaras is an advocate for deregulation. Trade Policy Amaras is an expressed supporter of Free Trade policies, but opposed the passage of the Trans-Pacific Partnership in the Senate, calling it a "corrupted agreement" and not truly "free trade", blaming the "fingerprints of Winston." in the agreement. Healthcare Amaras is a noted opponent of the Affordable Care Act, also known as "WinstonCare", referring to it as "LosetonCare", and demanding a full repeal. Amaras has criticized the healthcare law for "death panels" and has called it "European socialist." Amaras has advocated for a "full repeal" of the ACA. Amaras has promoted a free-market system of healthcare, in which citizens would be able to "choose their own healthcare." Government Amaras supports a "Constitutional" government, limited by a strict interpretation of the document. Amaras has stated that he wants to put a "leash" on "big government." Abortion Amaras is Pro-Life, and has promised to "always protect the rights of the unborn." Amaras is opposed to government funding of abortions. Education Amaras believes Intelligent Design to be a 'valid' scientific theory, and passed a bill promoting 'academic freedom', protecting teachers, states, and school districts who taught the matter, and requiring the notification of students to alternative theories to naturalistic evolution. Personal Life Amaras married LInda Sue Perkins in 2007, and has had four children, Tom, Billy, Huck, and Mike. Though Amaras is officially listed as 6 ft, 3.5 in. tall, and 241 lbs in weight, onlookers have considered his listed weight to be an artificially deflated number, with estimates by observation typically falling in the range of 270-290 lbs, up to as much as 350 lbs. Category:Republican Category:Iowa Category:Senator